Therapy
by Cancelleria
Summary: Inuyasha and the gang discover Kimiko, a modern girl who is on the brink of insanity and also has the ability to travel through time via the Bone Eater's Well. Part process, part adventure, lots of romance. On a hiatus at the moment. Really sorry about that!
1. Prologue: Die Young and Stay Pretty

**Author's Note: Well hi there. This is the first piece of fanfiction I've ever written (oh my, I'm not very good at this). So erm, yeah, I really hope you like it! It sort of came to me a few days back so I decided to spring into action before I forget it! Please be easy on me! I welcome reviews with open arms! :D**

The skies were of a pinkish shade, a promise that there would be quite a downpour a while later. Kimiko stared out of her window, then returned her gaze back to her room.

It was not particularly cramped, but it was not particularly big either. The faint glow from the streetlights outside bounced off the cream-coloured walls and off the mahogany shelf filled with books. A portal to another world where troubles weren't her own. A world where eventually things would sort itself out and the protagonist would live happily ever after. She pulled her knees to her chest and stayed in this position for a while, a petite figure in a field of crumpled white sheets. 5 minutes passed. And her mind was made up.

It was time to go.

She peered out into the living room and found her mother sprawled over the couch surrounded by a sea of crushed beer cans and emerald bottles. What else was new, she sighed inwardly. Taking care not to step on any of the bottles or cans lest they impaled her half-frozen feet, she gingerly made her way to the door and turned the lock. Click. Muttering under her breath about noisy locks, Kimiko swiftly spun around. Nope, her mom was still asleep. She let out a breath she did not realise she had been holding. Looking back one last time, she decided that she did not need anything. She was running away, not just from this house, but from this world. Nah, she did not need anything.

She shut the door behind her and realised she had no way of locking it. Whatever, it's not like they had anything valuable to steal from the house anyway.

And she ran.

As she was halfway down the empty streets, running with only a pair of thin black knee-high socks on, the skies lighted up and she heard a faint rumble in a distance. She decided to quicken her pace, though she did not know what for. She would be dead in a couple of hours anyway. Why would she care if she got soaked or not? But for some reason, she just did. And it poured.

"FUCK THIS SHIT!" she screamed at the top of her lungs and stopped running. She ran her hands through her damp and tangled hair and wallowed in self-pity for a moment before she caught sight of a shrine nearby. Perhaps she could seek shelter there, just for tonight. She sprinted up the steps and found a temple and a well-house. The temple was locked, so the well-house would have to do. But what if the owner of the shrine found her inside?

She peered down the well, grabbed a pebble she found on the ground and tossed it in. _Thwack. _Deciding it was safe, she climbed over and jumped, bracing herself for the impact. But it never came. Instead, when she opened her eyes, she found herself surrounded by a myriad of indescribable objects. It felt like she was in another dimension, or possibly, even a time warp.

_So this is how a concussion feels like, _she groaned inwardly. Strangely, she did not feel any sort of ache in her head. After what seemed like a century or so, it vanished and she found herself at the bottom of the well. _Well, that was certainly queer, _she thought. _I'd better get some sleep. Totally bushed from whatever that was. _

And she curled into fetal position and fell into a deep slumber.


	2. Chap 1: Mystery Lady

"I AM SO DONE!"

Kagome's shouts echoed through the forest and flocks of birds immediately evacuated upon hearing them.

"AND JUST WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING," Inuyasha yelled back.

Shippo, Sango and Miroku looked on and gave each other a knowing look. "Three, two, one…"

"I'M GOING HOME!"

"This is just so typical," Shippo shook his tiny head. "When will they ever get over this? It's like happening almost daily."

"I don't know but it's a pretty good source of entertainment," Miroku smiled pleasantly as he watched the bickering couple.

"They sure get along well, don't they," Sango sighed.

After a few more insults and a couple of sits, Kagome climbed over the edge of the well, ready to throw herself in when she spotted a figure at the bottom huddled up.

"What is that?!" she screeched and fell off the edge, only to have Inuyasha catch her before her bum kissed the damp grass.

"You owe me one, wench," he smirked.

Inuyasha peered down the well. Indeed, it seemed as if there was actually someone down there. It was strange because nobody was ever known to fall into the Bone-Eater's Well thanks to its reputation of containing bones of well, demons, and that was already enough to keep people away. Inuyasha contemplated jumping in to investigate, but decided that it would not be a good idea because he would probably travel to Kagome's time before he even hit the bottom anyway.

"Oi."

His husky voice bounced off the walls of the well, and the figure stirred.

"Mom leave me alone go back to your alcohol," came a sleepy voice with a dash of annoyance.

"It speaks!" Shippo jumped onto Sango's shoulder, while the rest of them took a defensive pose lest whatever was down there wanted to pick a fight.

"Oh my god what is happening why do I see the sky did the well house burn down or something," whoever was at the bottom said quickly and smoothly, barely stumbling over its words.

"Who the hell are you and how did you get down there?" Inuyasha hollered rudely. "Did ya fall in or something?"

"Um, no? I sought shelter here in the well because I had nowhere to go when it rained last night. An eye for an eye, now can you explain to me what happened to the roof of the well house? And whilst you're at it can you help me up?"

Inuyasha and Kagome gave each other a look.

"Go on, Inuyasha, do it," Kagome urged.

"No. What if it's dangerous?"

"For pete's sake there are five of us here."

"That pesky kit isn't counted."

"HEY!" went Shippo.

"WILL YOU PLEASE JUST DO IT."

"Fine."

In a matter of seconds, Inuyasha managed to haul the mystery person up.

"Thanks," she muttered as she dusted herself.

She felt five pairs of eyes fall on her, taking in her appearance. Judging her. She immediately felt insecure and embarrassed, so much that she forgot for a moment to ask why she was in a forest with three humans, a boy with triangular dog ears and silver locks and a kid with paws and a bushy orange tail.

"You're from my time!" Kagome suddenly pointed out.

"Excuse me?"

"You're from 2007 aren't you."

"Lady, are you high or something?"

"Watch it, sister," Inuyasha growled.

Kagome sighed. This was going to take a long time to explain.

"This is Inuyasha, that's Miroku, Sango and the little one, Shippo. And I'm Kagome, daughter of the owner of the shrine. If you wouldn't mind, would you please come with us to the village so we can find a place to explain things properly to you?"

The girl eyed them suspiciously, then said, "if you want my life, just finish it off quickly."

"We're not going to kill you," Kagome answered gently.

"Do what you must. Lead the way."

...

"So you're telling me that I've time travelled five hundred years into the past and this Inubaka or whatever he is called is a half-demon?"

"IT'S INUYASHA."

"Yeah. I know it's hard to believe, but trust me, it's the truth," Kagome gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Nothing blows my mind now then," the girl said. She took in her surroundings. "I guess I do believe you. I don't see any modern buildings anywhere. Or vehicles."

Kagome gave her a look.

"I'm a very open-minded person," she simply shrugged. "By the way, my name's Kimiko."

Miroku scooted beside her and took her hands in his.

"My dear Kimiko, you are far by the most beautiful lady I've ever come across. Look at the way your hair glows in the sunshine, the way your emerald eyes sparkle, the-"

He was cut off by a giant boomerang that fell on his nogging.

Sango sighed. "Don't mind him. He's always like that."

Kimiko merely raised an eyebrow.

"Feh. So what are we gonna do now? Send her back to her time?"

"NO!" Kimiko stood up and glared at Inuyasha, followed by an awkward silence.

"I mean, I don't want to return to the present," she said quietly and returned to her original sitting position. "Things are way too complicated there."

"What ails you, my fair maiden?" Miroku whispered in a seductive voice.

"Cut it out, Miroku," Sango hushed him upon seeing Kimiko's fallen face.

"Meh. Let's not talk about it," Kimiko said firmly.

Silence.

Noticing the sudden tension, Kimiko cleared her throat.

"So, Kagome, what are you doing here then? I reckon that you've been with this group for quite a while, judging by how close you are too them."

"Eh… well, I accidentally shattered a very powerful jewel that all the demons were after and now it is my job to look for all of them and put them together."

"And?"

"I dunno."

Kimiko raised her brows with a skeptical look on her face. It seemed like her signature expression or something.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me… I was about to go home."

Kagome got up to leave, but Inuyasha tugged at her sleeves.

"Like hell you are."

Kagome was about to argue when she realized she had forgotten why she wanted to leave in the first place. She sighed in resignation and retreated, ignoring the huge smirk on Inuyasha's face.

_'Hmm.. those two…'_ Kimiko thought. From what she had gathered so far, it seemed like one minute, Kagome was in charge, and another, that Inubaka fellow was in charge. _'Oh. So that's how it is.' _She felt a sudden warmth in her heart, though she did not know why. The pair had begun to bicker again over what seemed like a cup of ramen.

"SIT!"

Inuyasha nosedived into the ground, a string of muffled curses escaping.

_'This is going to be interesting.'_


	3. Chapter 2: Trouble, Quite Possibly

Kimiko inspected the interior of the hut carefully, noting down each and every minute detail mentally.

It belonged to an old priestess named Kaede, and Kagome was a priestess too, she had learnt. Over the course of 3 hours (yes, she slept till noon), she could already see that there were potential couples in the group. Or perhaps they already were.

They had stayed out to watch the sunset. Inuyasha perched at the roof of the hut in a dog-like position, with Shippo by his side. Miroku, Sango and Kagome sat in front of the hut on the grass, whilst she preferred to distant herself a little.

The sky blushed, and went into a transition of several shades of orange, and then, before she knew it, it was dark.

Occasionally, she heard a loud smack, and it always happened to be Miroku getting his just desserts for groping Sango. Kimiko was amused, but not amused enough to smile nor chuckle.

Back in the hut, everyone was having a dinner of stew, and sat in a circle around a fire.

The hut was made of wood, no doubt, for bricks had not yet been made 500 years ago. Or at least, unavailable for commoners. Large rocks were placed on the roof, presumingly to hold it down and prevent it from being carried away by strong winds.

As everyone ate their dinner and bantered, she examined them with interest.

Kagome.

The crisp green sailor suit with a red ribbon was probably sort of an attire for her when she came here, because it was a Sunday and on Sundays, it was a no-brainer that there was no school. She was a rather bubbly and cheerful character, trying to look on the positive side of things. Bright blue orbs that shone with hope and care and raven-haired.

Shippo.

Little fox demon, she had learnt, who had lost his father to the notorious Thunder Brothers and rescued by Inuyasha when Kagome got taken hostage because she held this Sacred Jewel which Inuyasha seemed to be obsessed about. Orangey-brown fur and hair, big eyes with small pupils, paws instead of hands and a green vest with leafy patterns.

Sango.

Demon exterminator who lost her entire village to a half-demon Naraku (who apparently everyone in this group had a bone to pick with except Kagome, who herself could learn to hate him). Gorgeous brown hair which looked like it came straight out of a shampoo ad. Her bangs hung over her forehead and parted slightly in the middle.

Miroku.

Practicing monk, though she was not sure how, given how lecherous he was. However, she could tell that he had a good heart. Apparently, he had some sort of vortex in one hand which he kept sealed up with some prayer beads and a cloth. Also caused by Naraku. He had uneven bangs and a small ponytail that hung on the bottom of his head. His features were rather defined, which made him look rather handsome.

Inuyasha.

Obnoxious prick who thought the world of himself and wanted Naraku's head most amongst them all, though when she asked what for, he immediately became withdrawn and moody. She could tell that he cared a lot for Kagome, even he had picked a fight with her over a hundred times in the past 3 hours she had been with them. He had silver locks, grey dog ears, amber eyes and a constant smirk and work a red robe which was fireproof. And although she hated to admit it, he actually did look good as well.

She was not able to assess much on Kaede, but she was dressed in priestess robes, had grey hair like most old folk tied up in a low ponytail with a white ribbon, an eyepatch and slightly hunched.

And then there was her.

Auburn hair, plain green eyes and clad in the most unfashionable garb ever. Really? A turtle-neck with a white pleat skirt and socks? She rubbed her arms even though she did not feel in the least chilly. Everyone was good-looking. Everyone but her.

Kagome noticed Kimiko being rather shifty.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her bright blue orbs filled with concern.

'_They seem like nice people, and she seems genuine,' _a little voice rang at the back of her head.

_'Nope, I'm not falling for it again. Once you open up, you're handing out invitations to get fucked over,'_ Kimiko thought darkly.

"Nothing. I'm going for a walk."

She got up and left the hut, ignoring the protests and warnings from the group about the wilderness not being safe for a human at night.

The night air was rather chilly. It was warmer in the hut. It felt like she was in a different place altogether.

Three hours since their meeting, it suddenly dawned upon her how strange this situation was. In fact, it was quite unbelievable. Perhaps she was going nuts. About time it happened anyway.

Strangely, she was really calm about it. She expected herself to launch into a maniacal fit, but no, she didn't.

_Whatever. I'm going to take a walk to clear my mind._

"Do you think she'll be fine?"

After a few minutes of basking in an awkward silence, Sango finally spoke up.

"I dunno, but she doesn't seem to trust us," Shippo pouted childishly.

"Keh. Who cares if she gets attacked by some demon?" Inuyasha snorted, placing his hands behind his head with Tetsaiga leaning on his side.

"You can't blame her, you know. She's new to this. It's already good that she isn't freaking out considering what weird circumstances she was under," Kagome said thoughtfully.

"Oh, like you did?" Inuyasha flashed an obnoxious smirk. Everyone held their breaths.

"Sit."

"Well, from what I see, she looks really troubled," Kaede chipped in. "It's not just her face. Her aura exerts a copious amount of insecurity and sadness as well."

Miroku nodded in agreement, and nobody paid attention to Inuyasha crawling out of the pit created by the impact of the pull of the rosary beads on his neck.

"I'd better go check on her," Kagome said worriedly.

"I'm. Fucking. Lost."

Kimiko emphasised on every syllable to prove her point to nobody in particular.

All the trees looked the same. The moon was not out tonight, and she had conveniently forgotten for a while that this was the feudal era where there were no phones or any sort of communication device.

She slumped in resignation at the bark of a tree. She could feel splinters getting caught in the wool of her turtle-neck.

The forest was too silent for her liking. In fact, it was unnatural. The sound of crickets chirping in the night usually resonated through the dense foliage of the forest. She could hear the ringing in her ears replacing the deafening silence.

**_Whoosh._**

Kimiko immediately stood up and surveyed her surroundings. She was sure her mind was not playing tricks on her. She had heard that clearly and the ringing sound was gone for a moment. She felt her skin being coated with a thin layer of perspiration. She had to admit, it was getting rather hot now. Perhaps she should roll up her sleeves.

_'Oh hell no,' _she silently berated herself for harbouring such a thought, which appeared so venomous to her.

**_WHOOSH._**

There it was again. Kimiko clenched her fists and scanned her surroundings once more. She cursed herself under her breath for leaving the safety of the hut even though she did not really trust the group.

She heard the faint rustling of leaves nearby on her right, and she spontaneously spun around and held her fists up, ready to slug whoever it was.

_'Please don't be a demon, please don't be a demon, please don't be a demon…'_

Kimiko suddenly valued her life.


	4. Chapter 3: What Did You Do To her?

Kagome clutched her bow, her palms sweaty.

Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to go after Kimiko on her own after all.

She sighed inwardly.

_"Oh come on, I'll be fine!" Kagome laughed good-naturedly as she picked up her bow and filled quiver. _

_"Damn right you will," Inuyasha argued._

_"Inuyasha's right, Kagome. I don't think it's safe for you to go alone," Sango eyed her friend pleadingly._

_"For fuck's sake, Kagome! Just let me come with you!" Inuyasha bellowed._

_"I said I'll be fine!" Kagome insisted. "Besides, this will be a good way to train myself! What if I get separated from you all during battle? I have to learn to survive on my own!"_

_"Like I'll allow that! You're __**not **__getting separated from us at any point in time and you're __**not**__ going after that crazy bitch on your own!"_

_Kagome could feel the veins in her head pop. _

_She was no small child, and she knew it. Why were they all so protective of her? They were her friends, not her parents. She felt like she could not be trusted. Sango was barely a few years older than her!_

_"UGH STOP IT INUYASHA. I'M GOING AND THAT'S FINAL. DON'T EVEN THINK OF FOLLOWING ME!"_

She replayed that scene over and over in her head, each time carrying a huge wave of regret.

_'Well, if I get killed, it'll just be my punishment for being so rash,' _she thought glumly. Inuyasha seemed pretty pissed at her when she left the hut, and Sango and Miroku and even Shippo remained silent.

She trudged along the forest at a dull pace, the leaves crunching under her feet. "Kimiko?" she called out cautiously.

She heard a groan somewhere from her left. "Kimiko?" she repeated, approaching with caution.

As she drew closer, she saw that it was indeed her.

"Found you!" she grinned.

The startled Kimiko nearly launched a knuckle sandwich at Kagome's face, but she dodged just in time.

"Woah, girl. You totally got me for a moment," Kimiko visibly relaxed and let her guard down. "I thought you were a demon or something."

"We wouldn't let anything happen to you, Kimiko," Kagome looked at her in the eye with seriousness.

"Yeah, but why would you do that? You barely know me," began Kimiko. "You-"

**CRASH. **

Kagome immediately grabbed an arrow from her quiver and lunged it at the direction where the noise came from. The arrow seemed to have some sort of special purple aura, and it seemed have hit bullseye, for a deafening roar sliced through the silence of the forest.

"What the-"

"RUN, KIMIKO, RUN!"

"WHERE?!"

"AWAY!"

Kagome launched another arrow.

Kimiko clumsily uprooted herself from her spot and made a dash for the opposite direction.

"Kagome?" she turned back, only to see the schoolgirl who was around her age being pinned down by a huge hybrid between a lion and an ox.

"DON'T LOOK BACK!" Kagome choked out as she stabbed the strange creature with an arrow.

Kimiko stopped on her tracks.

What was going on?

This wasn't happening.

No. It can't be.

Why would Kagome do this for her? She barely knew her!

Her breathing quickened and she began to feel dizzy. Oh god, what now?

Her vision blurred and she felt the darkness ready to conquer her.

"KAGOMEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

An unfamiliar shrill voice filled with urgency rang and she managed to steady herself.

A flash of brown and black whizzed past her and she watched the battle getting more heated up. Whoever it was moved at the speed of light, but even so, he was no match for the unusually large creature. The lion-ox raised a paw and bashed him, and he collapsed.

"Kouga!" Kagome immediately ran to the wannabe saviour.

"I'm fine, Kagome!" Kouga got up and winced, his right arm dripping with blood. "I'll take care of him!"

Watching the two of them fight the creature while she herself stood at the side doing nothing, Kimiko felt helpless.

Useless.

_Useless._

"No! No! Get away from me! Stop!" she suddenly clasped her hands to her head and crouched. "STOP! IT HURTS! GET AWAY FROM ME! I SAID **GET AWAY!**"

A wave of dark energy rippled from her position and it swept everything in proximity on its feet.

Literally.

When she looked up, recovering from her panic attack, she saw the creature's lifeless body collapsed in a heap, with Kagome and Kouga by its side.

_'Oh god, what have I..'_

"KAGOMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

A familiar husky voice came, followed by the jingling of metal rings and footsteps.

"KAGOME!"

They were here.

Inuyasha picked up the unconscious girl and shook her gently.

"Kagome? Kagome? Kagome, answer me, dammit!" Inuyasha growled in frustration. He looked up and caught sight of the trembling Kimiko.

"What the fuck did you do to her?!"

"I-"

"Inuyasha, it's not her-"

"What. The. Fuck. Did. You. Do."

His voice was now quiet and dangerous. Kimiko's shoulder started to shake violently.

"I don't know! I honestly don't know! I did not mean for that to happen! I didn't-"

And she fainted.


	5. Chapter 4: Secrets

Back in the hut, Inuyasha had laid Kagome down on a straw mat and stayed by her side, his beautiful amber eyes filled with concern.

Kouga was placed haphazardly at one corner, and Kaede tended to his wounds right after she was done with Kagome.

Kimiko stole glances at the unconscious Kagome, feeling worse than ever. A million thoughts were running through her head as well.

_I didn't mean to get her into this… I just wanted to clear my head… I should have just went back to our time, dammit… Why did she protect me? I've only known her for a couple of hours! Is it even humanely possible for someone to be this nice?_

She glanced at Kouga too.

The fur at his ankles looked like they were torn out violently, and his right arm was now bandaged, with fresh crimson blood soaking through. He wore a brown fur headband and had his jet black hair tied up in a high ponytail.

"Wolf prince," Shippo uttered when he noticed that Kimiko was staring at him.

"Oh."

Inuyasha remained silent all the while. Kimiko could see he really cared for Kagome a lot. Heck, even a blind person could see that. It was surprising because Inuyasha appeared obnoxious and uncivilized when she first met him, just by his mannerisms and lack of etiquette and respect for the elderly Kaede.

Too much had happened in just a span of 5 hours.

Her mind was reeling.

Miroku broke the silence.

"Kimiko, are you okay?"

"The fuck are you asking her for? She was not the one who fought that stupid demon," Inuyasha spat. The words pierced through Kimiko's heart like a dagger.

Regardless, Miroku continued.

"Were you lost?"

"Yeah."

"So Kagome came to find you."

"Mm."

"And?"

"The… demon showed up and Kagome shot it a few times. She told me to run and leave her." Kimiko paused and stared at her sleeve-covered arms. "And I did."

Miroku nodded, a signal for her to continue. Inuyasha remained silent, glaring at her venomously.

"And she was pinned down by the thing. And that guy," she gestured to the unconscious wolf prince with a nod. "He came for her. Rescued her. And then… yeah.. there was sort of an energy blast and it killed the demon and knocked them out."

"I presume that bolt of energy came from you, child?" Kaede piped in.

Silence.

"We will never find out what had really caused them to be so severely injured until you speak of the truth, Kimiko," Kaede said gravely.

Kimiko swallowed hard.

"I…"

She turned to look at the unconscious priestess, and then at the wolf prince. She owed them this. Mere acquaintances or not, they had saved her life.

She bit her lip, hestitating.

"Go on, child," Kaede encouraged. "We're not going to berate you or anything."

"Keh."

"Inuyasha, put a lid on it, will you?" Shippo snarled.

Normally, he would have knocked the living daylights out of the little kit for retorting, but he decided to let it rest. Not when Kagome was in this state.

All eyes were on her.

"I… I just felt really…" she bit her tongue. "Helpless. Yes, helpless. And I sort of got a headache and I crouched and held my head and it just sort of happened…"

Kaede eyed her, but her expression was unreadable.

"There must be a reason behind that," Sango finally spoke up. "What could have triggered such a reaction within you?"

"I don't know…"

"Do you?" Kaede raised an eyebrow, but her tone was gentle and not pressurising at all.

Kimiko held her breath.

_I don't care if they saved my life. That's as far as I'm going to go. There's no way I am going to open up to mere strangers whom I have known for barely a quarter of a day. _

She shook her red head.

"No," she said firmly.

"Nothing at all."


	6. Chapter 5: Sedative

_It was all my fault._

_I should have gone after her._

Those were the only things that ran through Inuyasha's mind for the past three days with Kagome unconscious. He hardly thought about anything else; not even a whole Sacred Jewel would make him budge from his spot beside Kagome. He blamed himself for not going after her, and for the past three days, he was quiet and moody and barely spoke a few words, not even to Kouga when he woke up, who exchanged a few insults with him before leaving for his den with promises of returning.

Deep inside, he did not blame Kimiko but himself, but heck, he was not going to show that. He stared daggers at her whenever she came near Kagome, and snapped when he had to answer her.

But Kimiko could tell.

And this made her feel guiltier, because she had already decided that she was the one at fault, running off despite the warnings.

Sometimes she hated the fact that she could read people so well.

She could see that underneath Inuyasha's tough exterior and harsh words lay a warm heart that cared for those around it just by spending three days with him. It was not really difficult, judging by how he had not left Kagome's side at all unless there was an absolute necessity to.

_'Maybe I should return back to the present… I'm just being a hindrance to these people. I don't really trust them but at the same time, I do not want to bother them either.' _Kimiko frowned at such a thought. It was really ironic, really, because they had been the ones who had warned her, which already showed that they cared about her well-being to a certain point. _'Nah, I'm not falling for that again. They may be nice people, but no, I'm not going to try to make friends with them.'_

_'Not in a thousand years.'_

Inuyasha wiped the beads of perspiration on Kagome's head.

The weather was not particularly hot, but for some reason, she kept tossing and turning, sometimes gasping for air, and sweating profusely in the middle of the night. This worried Inuyasha to no end. He hated seeing her like this. He would rather be sat a million times than to see Kagome curled up into fetal position, deathly pale and sickly.

_'What's going on? Why isn't she waking up? God, Kagome, what is wrong?'_

Kagome found herself in a hospital, just outside a maternity ward. She could hear screams and howls coming from inside.

It just happened so suddenly. The last thing she remembered was her blacking out.

She did not mean to pry or anything, but something told her that she should take a look inside the ward.

A red-headed lady with streaks of blonde highlights no more than 25 was lying in bed, screaming and pushing the nurses away, one of getting the sedative ready already. She was rabid, her words barely audible, but it was apparent that she was not too happy about something. Then something she said caught Kagome's ear.

"I DON'T WANT IT! IT'S FILTHY! IT'S A BASTARD CHILD! GET IT AWAY FROM ME! THROW IT OFF THE BUILDING!"

Kagome's eyes widened. One of the nurses gestured to the one carrying a small bundle, assumingly the redhead's baby, to bring it out.

As the nurse hurried out, she managed to steal a glance at the bundle.

The baby looked… familiar.

It was as if she had seen her somewhere before.

The nurses managed to pin the rabid woman down after what seemed like a millennium, and when she was sedated, she slumped into a fitful rest.

The scene sickened Kagome, somehow. The nurses covered the unconscious woman with a blanket and left one by one. As they walked past Kagome, she also noticed that they did not seem to acknowledge her presence. Never mind a nod or a greeting; it was like they just saw right through her.

This unnerved her.

She heard a soft moan coming from the ward, and watched the new mother stir in her sleep, mumbling to herself. There was no one by her side; no husband, no relatives, no nothing. She felt a slight ache in her heart at the husband part; it reminded her of her own mother in a way.

"NO!"

Kagome shot up, her uniform soaked and hair damp with all the accumulated cold sweat over the past four days.

"Kagome?! What's wrong?!" Inuyasha immediately put an arm on her back and one on her shoulder to steady her, even though she did not appear to be in danger of falling back onto the hard wooden floor.

"Ehh?" Kagome blushed furiously when she saw how close her face was to Inuyasha's.

He immediately realised this too, for he gently pulled away, much to her disappointment.

"Umm, so uhh, what happened?" Kagome found herself stumbling over her words.

"You passed out after a fight with a demon," Sango said.

"You've been asleep for four days," Shippo added.

"Yeah, I think I remember that now…" Kagome rubbed her temples, her head now pounding. "I don't think it was the battle that knocked me out, though. I-"

"No shit," Inuyasha interrupted rudely, but regretted it because it came out a little more sardonic than he had wanted it to be.

"I vaguely remember a surge of dark energy hitting me…"

Kimiko froze.

Before anyone could say anything, Kagome turned to Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha, my head really hurts. May I please be allowed to go home?" she asked in a gentle, genuinely non-threatening tone.

Inuyasha raised his eyebrows in concern. "Are you sure you'll be okay there?"

"Yeah. We have medicine and stuff."

Kimiko seized the chance immediately.

"Kagome," she piped up, a little too urgently. "Can I come with you?"

Everyone stared at her.

"I mean just going back to the present. I'm not gonna stick to you," she said meekly.

Kagome brightened up. "Sure, why not?"

Kimiko gave her a faint smile, so faint she was not sure whether it was just a figment of her imagination or not.

"Well then, come along."

Kagome got up and picked at her clothes. "Eww, I stink…" she muttered under her breath, picking up her gargantuan yellow backpack.

"I'll walk you there," Inuyasha took the back from her. "Let's go."

Once they were out and in a safe distance, Miroku cleared his throat.

"I think Lady Kimiko is behaving rather strangely."

"You speak as if you know her really well," Sango remarked sarcastically.

"I'm hurt, Sango," Miroku pouted, rubbing his chest area to show that he had been emotionally scarred. "What I'm trying to say is that I think she had something to do with that surge of dark energy that Lady Kagome had mentioned and she knows something about it as well."

"You think she did it on purpose?" Shippo climbed into the monk's lap. "But why?!"

"Frankly speaking, I do not think she meant for that to happen," Kaede joined in the conversation. "Perhaps she has some underlying powers that she was never aware of, and something had triggered it."

"And if she doesn't come clean with us, we'll never know what it is," Miroku concluded.


	7. Chapter 6: An Unfamiliar Feeling

Kimiko gently skimmed her arms over the jade-coloured bath water.

The hot water felt so good, and the steam seemed to cleanse her spiritually.

**_Flashback_**

_"Kimiko, where are you going?"_

_Kimiko shrugged. "Nowhere."_

_"You can stay over at my place if you want! I have an extra futon that you can use!" Kagome chirped enthusiastically._

_"No really, it's alright," Kimiko gentle turned her down. "I wouldn't want to bother you any further."_

_"Oh." Kagome's face fell. "I see…"_

_Kimiko felt guilt slug her right in the abdomen. The two girls basked in the awkward silence for a few moments. _

_"Ahh fine! It's not like I have anywhere to go anyway…" _

_Kagome immediately perked up. "That's great! I'll take you to meet my family! There's my mom… my younger brother Sota…"_

Kimiko submerged herself entirely for a few seconds, and then emerged, water cascading down her auburn locks like a glorious waterfall.

_Funny how she's never mentioned her dad, _she thought to herself as she absent-mindedly began to twirl her wet hair around her fingers.

_Maybe she's truly here to stay._

_What? No. The people who enter my life leave just in time to watch me crumble. That isn't happening again. _

_She seems nice._

_Seems._

_Come on, you know it._

_I've only known her for three days._

_So?_

_You can't trust someone you've only know for a few days._

_…_

"Kimiko! Are you alright in there?"

She immediately snapped out of her internal debate.

"Um, yeah," she hastily got up and stepped out of the bathtub, wringed her hair and wrapped a towel around herself.

"Um, do you have any spare clothes?" Kimiko flushed with embarrassment. _Great. Not only did I put her life in danger, I even have to borrow her clothes._

"Oh, plenty!" Kagome beamed, looking as excited as a child in a sweet shop. "Do you have any clothing preferences?"

"Um, anything with long sleeves and pants."

"Bingo!" she snapped her fingers cheerfully. "I'll be right back!"

_She always seems so cheerful…_

After Kimiko got dressed, Kagome introduced her to her family briefly, and brought her to her room.

It was a little larger than Kimiko's, but it was neater. There was a desk with a cup full of stationery and a few books supported by a metal bookend against a wall right next to the window. Cream-coloured curtains framed the windows and Kagome's bed was right next to it, adorn with pink floral fresh sheets.

"My mom said we could have our dinner up here," Kagome heaved a mattress out of her wardrobe, which seemed too heavy and big for her petite frame.

"Uhh, let me help with that," Kimiko grabbed the futon. The two girls worked together quietly to set it up, propping an extra fluffy pillow and laying out the blankets.

"So…"

"We never really got to introduce ourselves properly, didn't we?" Kagome cut her off, which took Kimiko by surprise, seeing how out of character it was for such a gentle and polite person. She nodded her head dumbly, taking a particular interest in the texture of the floorboards instead.

"Haha, well, no pressure," she gave a light-hearted laugh. "It's fine if you don't want to open up to me or anything. As for me, well, you could say that I'm a pretty open person. I like telling people about myself. I know it sounds really narcissistic but it's not that. I just… you know… I don't know…" She blushed and scratched the nape of her neck.

"Hmm… well, I'd like to know more about you," Kimiko the words tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop herself. Kagome's face lit up. "Really?"

"Yeah," Kimiko smiled, and she felt something she felt an unfamiliar warmth penetrating her chest. What was it? Comfort? Security? Trust?

She couldn't remember the last time she had actually smiled; she had long given up on pretending that she was happy. She was in fact, quite surprised.

"Mmm," Kagome put a finger to her chin and tapped it lightly, deep in thought. "Let's see… uh, well, I am Kagome Higurashi, 15 this year, and I am in Middle School currently, the one nearby. Okay, this is just pretty basic and not to mention boring information…"

She started to move on to how she ended up travelling back and forth to the feudal era instead, which intrigued Kimiko. like how the Sacred Jewel came to exist and how it was handed over to a very powerful priestess whom she reincarnated from to protect from demons all over the world who hungered for more power, and how Naraku, whom was the group's common enemy, killed the priestess. "And some centipede demon came along and dragged me into the well and I ended up there, and Inuyasha saved me," she nodded at nobody in particular. "Apparently, the jewel was in my body, and the demon dug it out of me." She cringed. "And well, we killed it and another demon went after it and I shattered the jewel while trying to stop it and that was why I have to go back to help hunt for the shards, put it back together and make sure it does not fall into the wrong hands." She let out a sigh, exhausted after the long explanation.

"So, are you and Inuyasha like a couple or something?"

Kagome suddenly gave a pregnant pause.

"Oh, no, it's not like that," she lowered her head a little, her bangs covering her blue orbs. "Inuyasha's just a friend."

But Kimiko knew better than that. She had already caught a glimpse of the momentary sadness in Kagome's eyes, which she tried to hide by shielding it with her fringe.

_Just a friend? How is that possible? Did she see how worried and agitated he was when she was hurt?_

"Come on! Dinner's ready!" Kagome suddenly broke her train of thoughts. Seeing how Kagome was back to normal now, Kimiko decided to let the matter rest.

"Let's go then."

Kagome grinned and stood up, holding out her hand. Kimiko grinned back and took it.

For once it her life, she actually felt happiness.

And it was a nice feeling.


	8. Chapter 7: Disappear

**Author's note: This chapter is quite intense ^.^; Hope you all enjoyed it. And there was an error in the previous chapter; Kimiko has known Kagome for four days, not three. c:**

**xxxx  
**

'_She's still not back yet… It's been three days,' _Inuyasha folded his arms in an attempt to keep himself warm in a nonchalant manner. The days were getting cold.

"Oh, so you a_re _thinking about Kagome," Shippo leaped onto the half-demon's shoulder, a cheeky grin plastered across his chubby face.

"Shut up," Inuyasha grabbed him by the tail and tossed him aside.

"I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT!" Shippo managed to yell and he descended onto the ground with a loud thud. "YOU MISS HER, JUST ADMIT IT!"

"BEFORE I-" Inuyasha's words were cut off by a familiar scent. A mixture of grave soil, clay and bones.

In a distance, he caught a glimpse of the flying serpents emitting a faint glow in the woods; a guarantee that it was indeed who he thought it was.

He leaped off the roof of Kaede's hut and made a dash for the forest.

"Hey, Inuyasha! Where are you going?" Shippo yelled.

"Don't follow me!" he threw back.

...

"Hey, Kimiko. I'm going back to the past already. Wanna tag along?" Kagome stuffed a few packs of instant noodles into her backpack, which was already threatening to explode anytime as it was already tearing at the seams.

"Ahh, Kagome, perhaps you should reorganize the stuff in your bag…" Kimiko pointed out.

"That's not a bad idea," Kagome tipped the bag at an angle, and its contents immediately toppled out like an avalanche. She sat there for a moment, making mental notes of items that should be prioritized, and proceeded to stuff her bag again.

"Um, Kagome," Kimiko picked up a few books that had fallen off the bed and helped to pack her bag. "Do you mind if I tag along?"

"Sure, why not?" Kagome answered distractedly, trying to make room for a small box of spare batteries. When she was done, she kicked the bag off her bed and lay down, exhausted. "What made you decide on this though? I mean, I'm really glad that you've decided to come along, but I'm just curious."

Over the past three days at Kagome's place, the two girls had bonded a lot like fairly normal teenage girls. Kimiko had enjoyed herself tremendously; it was like the sleepover she never had as a child. However, she still remained cautious.

"I just think it'd be pretty weird if I stayed at your place without you," she shrugged and hopped off the bed and onto the chair at the desk.

"Are you sure? It's dangerous in that era. You could lose your life."

"I've got nothing to lose," Kimiko grinned.

Kagome tossed a pillow at her. "Oh, come on."

"It's true."

"Shut up. I'll look out for you. We all will."

Kagome curled up into fetal position and stretched. "I think I'll rest for a while…"

"Go ahead."

"Mmhmm…"

She drifted off into a peaceful slumber, and Kimiko stared out of the window.

It was so strange, being comfortable with someone. She had thrown caution into the wind; she bonded with Kagome, and well, she actually saw her as a friend. Deep down, she knew that Kagome was a genuine person and would never hurt her, but the hardened exterior of hers seemed to disagree, and she found herself having an internal conflict of emotions. She looked at Kagome, her face peaceful and beautiful. Like an angel.

_I still can't bring myself to trust anyone completely…_

**One hour later…**

"Hey, Kagome, wake up," Kimiko gently prodded the sleeping beauty.

"Mmmf… five more minutes…"

"Don't get me started on that, girl. Five more minutes in sleep lingo means an hour," Kimiko wagged her finger disapprovingly. "Now come along."

She dragged the moaning girl out of the bed. "Alright, alright! I'm awake! Geez," Kagome rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and grabbed her backpack.

"Let's go," she beckoned.

…

"Wow, it sure isn't nice and balmy here," Kagome rubbed her hands against her arms.

"Tell me about it," Kimiko shoved the oversized canary-yellow bag over the mouth of the well.

A couple of long-bodied creatures with four legs and a long tail carrying an oscillating orb of light gracefully weaved their way among the trees to a common destination.

Kagome suddenly went silent.

"Kagome?"

She put a finger to a lips, a gesture for her to keep quiet. Before Kimiko could say another word, Kagome got up and followed the flying creatures, leaving her backpack behind. She followed her closely.

What were they? Friend or foe? One of Naraku's minions?

Kagome stopped in her tracks. There was a clearing right ahead. She bent down and kept herself hidden among the bushes. Kimiko followed her and craned her neck to get a glimpse of whatever was taking place.

"Godammit Kikyo, why are you so stubborn?!"

There was no mistaking him. It was Inuyasha. Who else in the world had long silver hair, wore a gaudy red haori and had such a husky and annoying voice? She wanted to jump out of the bushes and reprimand him for being rude to whoever it was, but something about Kagome's expression stopped her.

Her face was mellow and calm, but she could see a storm brewing in her eyes.

"I'm doing this for us! Now leave me alone and don't interfere!"

A dark-haired female slightly older than 16 clad in a white robe and red bottoms, like the one Kaede wore, stood across Inuyasha, her voice steely and defensive.

She looked so much like Kagome, but her hair was much longer and darker and pulled into a low ponytail, with a small chunk resting on her shoulder and framing her porcelain and pale face. There was just something not right about her though, but Kimiko could not put a finger on it.

"Kikyo, why won't you just join us? I'll be able to protect you!" Inuyasha insisted adamantly.

"You all will just be a burden," she replied bluntly.

"Dammit, Kikyo," Inuyasha hastily tugged at her sleeves and pulled her into an embrace. "I just want to be with you, don't you understand!"

Kagome's eyes widened, but she remained silent.

Kikyo hesitated for a moment, but put her arms around his waist. She started sobbing. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha… I can't… I just can't…"

Inuyasha buried his head in her hair and ran his fingers through it. "Kikyo…"

Kagome let out a tiny gasp, causing the couple to release each other immediately.

"Who's there?!" Inuyasha immediately put his hand on Tetsaiga, ready to unsheathe it anytime.

Kagome slowly stood up, her knees quivering vigorously and threatening to give way. The storm cloud in her eyes finally burst, releasing an onslaught of fresh tears.

Inuyasha couldn't even speak. He mouthed her name, but his vocal chords had somehow failed him. Kagome stared at the ground.

"See you at the village, I guess…" she mustered every inch of willpower not to let herself burst into tears and backed off slowly. Kimiko shot Inuyasha a look of pure venom.

"Kimiko, you-"

"I saw everything," she cut him off in an icy tone. Kagome couldn't take it anymore. She sprinted, colliding into low-hanging branches and tripping over vines, her skin torn apart by wild torns. But she didn't care. She had to get away.

"Kagome!" she heard Kimiko's voice in the distance.

_Run. Just run._

_Disappear._


	9. Chapter 8: Epiphany

"Kagome?"

Kimiko tiptoed over to the schoolgirl curled into a ball against the tree gingerly, not wanting to startle her. Kagome did not acknowledge her presence at all.

"Hey…" Kimiko sat down beside her on the damp grass and put a hand on her shoulder. "Um, you alright?"

_Great. I don__'__t even know what to say to make her feel better._

"I'm fine," Kagome managed to choke out, her voice shakey and soft. She remained in her position, head buried in her folded arms. Kimiko withdrew her hand, but stayed close to her, staring into the night sky littered with clusters of celestial objects. There was a vast difference between this sky and the one back in their time. It was clearer and the constellations could be made out easily, unlike the skies in the urban areas, where there was only an occasional one or two twinkling diamonds in the distance.

"He wants to be with her," Kagome's usually high-pitched and peppy voice barely sliced through the silence of the night.

"Yeah, so I heard," was Kimiko's immediate response. _'__Shit. I didn__'__t mean to say that! What__'__s wrong with me?!__'_

Kagome managed to force a weak guffaw, and looked up as well.

They were at the outskirts of the forest, leaning against a big and sturdy tree, providing shelter with its leaves, but not enough to obstruct the view of the celestial sphere.

"That girl…"

"Kikyo," Kagome finished her sentence for her. "Yes, she was the priestess guarding the Sacred Jewel."

"I thought she was dead?"

Kagome shook her head, her expression unreadable. "Nah, she was resurrected by a witch, her body made of clay, bones and burial soil. The witch found that she had no soul when she resurrected her, and she tried to take mine." She paused. "Because we share the same soul," she said in a barely audible voice.

'_So that__'__s why they look so much like each other.__'_

"Anyway, she was unable to contain my soul because somehow, my body managed to force it to return to me. That's why she's living off souls. Yeah, those glowing spheres are actually people's souls."

Kimiko suddenly felt a little sick in the stomach.

"He's not over her," Kagome did not look at her in the eye.

"Oh…"

Kagome's face was serene, but her eyes told otherwise. It was always the eyes, weren't they? The windows to one's soul. They were brimmed with sadness; tinted with grief. It made Kimiko feel sad.

'_And she loves him too.__'_

Suddenly, Kagome stood up and extended a hand, a small grin forming on her face.

"Let's go back. I still have a job to do."

Unsure of how to respond except take her hand, Kimiko did so.

…

Inuyasha returned at dawn and was startled to find Kagome slumped at a corner of the hut. Not surprised that she had slept in that position and not in a sleeping bag, but at by her presence. Kimiko took her place in the sleeping bag instead.

The night air was cold, and Kagome may have long sleeves on her uniform, but her skirt was far from long, which was why she had sat on them and tried to cover them with what she had. Her head cocked off to one side, the faint scent of tears still clinging on to her.

Without a moment's hesitation, Inuyasha pulled his haori off and draped it over her small frame. He then lowered his head in guilt. The image of the tears collecting at the bottom of her eyelids was still vivid in his mind, and no matter how hard he tried, he just could not forget it.

'_Dammit__…'_he cursed himself.

He had lost count of the number of times this had happened already.

But this time was different.

She had stayed.

To an outsider, it may have seemed like a good thing. Perhaps she had decided to forget it and live and let live. But Inuyasha wasn't an outsider, and he didn't just meet her yesterday.

It was a sign of retaliation now.

It wasn't to spite him or anything; it was more of trying to show him that she could still go on without him, rather than run back to her time like the baby she was. She was trying to move on already.

She was giving up.

The sudden epiphany sent a wave of dread over Inuyasha.

'_I__'__ve done it this time__…'_ he bit his lower lip in frustration.

'_I took her for granted. Because she had forgiven me the first few times, it just became natural for me not to care about her for the moment. Not to care about her feelings, at least. I__…'_

He looked at the sleeping girl.

'_The least I could do is apologise__…'_


	10. Chapter 9: Honestly

It was now or never.

'_I have to do this. I owe her this.'_

He swiftly picked up the futuristic girl in his strong arms, his haori still covering her and leaped out of the hut into the darkness, trying to be as silent as possible.

Who knew that humans had such a sharp sense of hearing as well.

Kimiko's ears immediately picked up the sound of the bamboo door curtain being flung open, and so did her eyes.

She scanned her surroundings warily, her fists at ready, waiting for an ambush.

There were no intruders in the hut.

She could make out Kaede's hunched figure, Sango and her exaggerated boomerang, a little ball of fur that was Shippo's tail and the monk with his staff.

But two people were gone.

Her head snapped up in the direction of the door.

…

"Inuyasha… wha-"

He carried her to the well and sat her down gently on its lip.

She realised that his haori was on her, but she did not bother to take it off, as it was chilly.

"What do you want," she said coldly, not bothering to look at him in the eye at all.

"Kagome, I… I know I've screwed up big time, okay? I… I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" her voice picked up by an octave. "You're sorry? Inuyasha, how many more apologies am I going to get from you before there is an end to this bullshit?!"

"I really am… I didn't mean for you to…"

"Of course you didn't," Kagome was practically yelling now. "Which guy in his right frame of mind would want to be caught getting all frivolously chummy with his ex?!" She paused. "Oh, I forgot. I'm just a SHARD DETECTOR."

Beads of tears were now rolling down her face, and her pent up anger overwhelmed her sadness. She stood up and faced him, throwing his haori back at him.

"How silly of me to even think that I was of romantic value to you!" she barked. "Of course, this is all my fault! It was I who came between the both of you! Well guess what! I'm done! But I am still going to stay here and finish my job because I know damn fucking well that I have a responsibility here, and I promise you I will leave you all in peace! Now if you'll excuse me."

She walked past him, when she felt a strong hand grip her arm and pull her back.

He turned her around by the shoulders to face him.

"Kagome," he bore his amber pools into her azure ones, his voice shaking with urgency. "I'm sorry. I really am. Believe me… I've given it quite some thought and I know that I've been a real prat… I know I've been taking advantage of your forgiving nature, and I know I've been selfish. I'm sorry, I just… I just feel that I owe Kikyo something… She died for me, and it is only right that I give my life as well. I… I don't know what to say, honestly… I just… Kagome, I know it's not easy seeing me with her. I promise you I'll never look for her again, and even if I do, I won't do anything funny. Just please…"

He held her closer.

"Don't let go of me. Not yet. I'm trying to let go of Kikyo… please give me more time…"

Kagome didn't say anything, but she rested her small frame against his strong one and continued sobbing. He held her tighter, as though his arms were a barrier, protecting her from the outside world.

Finally, due to the exhaustion of crying and the anger, she fell asleep in his arms. Inuyasha wiped the streaks of tears that stained her face with the sleeve of his haori and draped it over her, picking her up and pressing his lips onto her head.

_Rustle._

"What the… who's there?!"

Inuyasha could barely make out the scent of whoever it was in the vicinity thanks to the overpowering smell of Kagome's tears.

"Come on out! Don't be a wimp!" he threatened, brandishing Tetsusaiga.

"Easy man, it's only me," a familiar voice sounded, and a figure stepped out of the comfort of the darkness into the moonlight.

"Kimiko?" Inuyasha put his sword back. "What are you doing here?"

"I didn't know half-demons could be such smooth talkers too," Kimiko shrugged, entirely avoiding the question.

"You… you saw the whole thing?" he cried incredulously.

"If those words were true, you wouldn't be ashamed of having someone else hearing you say them," she responded cryptically.

Inyasha went silent for a moment and looked at her with intense eyes. "I meant everything I said," he finally said firmly. "I won't let Kagome get hurt again."

"Yeah, make sure you do." Kimiko turned and left.


	11. Chapter 11: Empower Me

**A/N: My sincerest apologies for not updating as frequently! This is the year of my national exams, and my grades will determine what I will do for the rest of my life, so I have to spend more time on my studies! **

The rumour mill was being run again, and Kagome and the others were already packing their equipment, filling the quiver with a fresh batch of arrows, bringing Tetsusaiga to Totosai to fix a few hairline cracks and give the rusty blade a little shine and heading over to the Demon Exterminator's Village to make a few minor repairs to Hiraikotsu. Kimiko had tagged along with the group during this time while they were make preparations, and had gotten to know them a little more, so when they had denied her request to go along with them to hunt Naraku down, she was a little more than upset.

"Why can't I come along with you?!" she cried when Inuyasha gave her a firm 'no' even after she had asked nicely (through gritted teeth).

"Keh," he merely answered.

"Look at Shippo!" she gestured pointedly at the little fox demon. "Tell me how it's fair that you guys permit such a diminutive innocent, harmless being to take part in your dangerous endeavours!?"

"My what?"

"She means hunting down Naraku," Kagome whispered circumspectly.

"Shippo has his fox magic," Inuyasha declared cavalierly.

"Oh, so now I'm useless?" she could now feel an apoplectic rage coming on. Suddenly, the small crackling flame used to heat up a pot of broth flared up, startling Kaede, who was stirring the mixture.

It seemed to have a mind of its own, for it headed towards Inuyasha and engulfed him.

"What the hell?!" Inuyasha yelped and the amber flames lapped up every inch of his body and clothes.

"Roll on the floor!" Kimiko shouted.

Growling, Inuyasha did as he was told, and the fire was extinguished in a matter of seconds. He seemed fine, though. In fact, he was unscathed.

"What the hell did you do?!" Inuyasha recovered from the initial surprise and now stood up to face her.

"I didn't do anything!" Kimiko protested vehemently. The two of them engaged in a heated debate.

Kaeda shook her head and gave Kagome a knowing look. The latter sighed.

"Inuyasha, sit."

"HNGGH!"

A string of expletives and whatnot came from the half-demon whose head was now buried in the broken floorboards.

…

"Alright, I want the two of you to make peace," Kaede took a sip of her tea coolly.

"Apologise!" Inuyasha screeched incredulously. "She was the one who tried to kill me!"

"I told you it wasn't me!" Kimiko countered.

"SILENCE!" Kaede bellowed, much to the shock of everyone in the room.

"I think I know what's going on," she cleared her throat, as if preparing it for a long speech to be followed up.

"Kimiko, from what I've derived so far, I think you indeed have a few special powers.

"Remember that time you said you saw some strange dark force field pushing through the forest and killing the demon and knocking Kagome and Kouga out? Well, how were you feeling then?"

"I… um…" Kimiko stuttered.

"Speak up, woman!" Inuyasha spat.

She gave him a look of her own, and turned to Kaede. "I just felt really… usless?" She flinched at her choice of words.

Kaede gave her an understanding nod.

"So was it really intense?" she asked gently.

"Very."

She nodded again, and shut her eyes for a few seconds as if deep in thought.

"I understand now," she finally broke the uncomfortable silence. "You have the ability to control elements, but since you weren't aware of it yet, you just sort of commanded them subconsciously."

"How can you be so sure?" Kimiko defended. "It could be a coincidence. Perhaps some demon outside has been doing these to make it look like I was the one."

"Unlikely, because I do not detect any dark aura in the vicinity. Do you, Kagome?"

The person in question shook her head.

"There you go," Kaede's voice was laced with satisfaction. "When you experience extreme turmoil or emotion, you subconsciously summon the soul of these elements to do your bidding. When Kagome and Kouga were in danger, you were feeling extremely helpless. As such, your soul beckoned the shadows for help. That was what that force field was."

"And that was why it was dark," Kagome concluded.

"You summon the element that is easily available at the moment, but if you practice more, I am sure you can summon other elements even if their nearest body is miles away."

Kimiko's face lit up.

"So that means I can join you all?!"


End file.
